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NBA Daily Fix: Why Did Milwaukee Bucks Trade Brandon Knight Again?

By Ben Gibson

Nov 16, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Brandon Knight (3) makes a pass in first half of the NBA game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 16, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Brandon Knight (3) makes a pass in first half of the NBA game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports /
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Brandon Knight
Brandon Knight /

Last season the Milwaukee Bucks traded Brandon Knight for Michael Carter-Williams in a three-team deal with the Philadelphia 76ers that wound up sending Knight to the Phoenix Suns.

It was was asked then and asked now: Why?

We were reminded to the trade Monday night when Knight recorded his first triple-double in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers with 30 points, 10 assists, and 15 rebounds.

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MCW and BK are roughly the same player statistically and all the other pieces in the trade added up Miles Plumlee and Tyler Ennis, who have combined for less that 10 points a game with Milwaukee. Right now though Knight is clearly the better player and if nothing else at least the healthy one as MCW has missed the last few games with an ankle injury.

To his credit he played well against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday with 17 points.

Knight did his best to make it look like the Bucks sold their stock in him a bit too early, but that may have been part Milwaukee’s plan no matter what.

Looking back it looks like it was only to shed potential salary going forward. I’d take Knight over Carter-Williams even before last night, but I don’t think it was so much a bad trade, because it wasn’t (SI.com’s Ben Golliver have them a B grade for it last year.) but more of a lateral move. If Carter-Williams continues to develop, the Bucks will find themselves in the same situation again.

I get the realistic and important salary cap concerns, but I imagine fans in Milwaukee are seeing the stat line and asking why he isn’t doing that for the Bucks.

One last thing about Brandon Knight …

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A week ago Marcelo Huertas earned himself a spot in any sort of worst of the week, Shaq-tin-a-fool type of list for his backwards shot attempt. Unfortunately for him he’s not leaving that spot for at least another week as Brandon Knight had him spinning right round.

Trevor Ariza looked like he was running out of room and time just before halftime in Boston, but the crafty veteran found just enough of both to get a bucket just before the buzzer.

Unfortunately for him and the Houston Rockets they came up short and lost 111-95.

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Derrick Rose scored 23 points in the 96-95 victory over Paul George and the Indiana Pacers, but the Chicago Bulls star would have to leave the game early with an ankle injury. But it wasn’t a problem as Jimmy Butler stepped up with 17 points and a block on PG’s final shot.

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Maybe next time you’ll get the call, Paul George.